Copycat Gluten Free Polynesian Cultural Center Guava Cake

Slide your fork through a beautiful sea of pink. Bite into a layer of sweet guava and whipped cream. This guava cake is perfect for summer, Cinco de Mayo and more! (GF option, dairy free option, soy free, nut free, egg free option, vegan option, vegetarian, FODMAP)

What is Guava Cake?

Guava cake is a guava based cake consisting of guava puree and other ingredients. The cake itself boasts about five ingredients and tastes amazing on its own! To go for the copycat version you can opt to do the additional frosting and fruit ganache.

What is the Polynesian Cultural Center?

The Polynesian Cultural Center is located in Oahu, Hawaii. It’s one of the highlights of visiting the Island and fun to explore the different cultures and history of the surrounding area through immersive experiences. The cultural center has a package option (that we HIGHLY recommend) that includes a buffet dinner and evening fire show. The buffet dinner serves the most wonderful guava cake. (You just get to drool over it if you have dairy and gluten allergies. Boo.). So of COURSE when I got home I was going to make sure that I found a way to make this gluten and dairy free so everyone can enjoy! Just scroll down to the substitutions so you can see what products we use. 

LOVE GUAVA? TRY OUR GLUTEN FREE GUAVA CREAM CHEESE TARTS!

Ingredients

Guava Puree, Guava Paste, Guava Extract or Guava Juice?

This recipe calls for several different types of guava but I opted just to make it simple on me by using guava puree. Here’s a quick tutorial on the different types of guava available: 

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• Guava puree: Guava puree comes straight from the source–the guava itself. You can make a puree by placing guava into a blender and making a puree, or you can purchase it. I’ve found it on Amazon or for a few dollars at my local Kroger grocery store. Look for ones that don’t have any added sugar. 

Guava Puree

• Guava Paste: Thick and formed into a jelly like substance, guava paste can add a very nice strong guava flavor to your product. Many guava pastes add sugar. If you’re using it in place of guava puree, to get the consistency of a puree you are going to have to experiment with adding some water and heating the paste to melt it so it blends into a puree like consistency. It worked for me on this recipe when I bought the wrong type of guava but the second time around I opted for guava puree and it worked much easier. 

Guava Paste

• Guava Extract: Do not substitute guava extract in this recipe!! The flavor will be overwhelming. Guava extract is pure flavor in a tiny bottle. Usually extracts are used for flavoring candies and other types of desserts and only require at best a teaspoon for a strong sense of the flavor you are trying to bring out in your recipe. 

Guava Extract

• Guava Juice: Juice adds the subtlest of flavor to a recipe. If you’re looking for a subtle hint of guava, juice is the way to go. You can substitute it for the puree in the cake, but you may not get much of a guava taste. This recipe uses guava juice for the frosting but you can also use puree and still get similar results. (I know this because I forgot to read the recipe and used the puree). 

Guava Juice

Is Guava FODMAP Friendly?

Guava when ripe is considered to be FODMAP friendly. If you have stomach issues than you know that juice isn’t always too friendly but I did fine with the guava puree. I think it will be dependent on your particular stomach. 

Substitutions

There are several substitutions you can use in this recipe. 

Cake

• Yellow Cake Mix: Use a basic yellow cake mix or opt to use a homemade yellow cake mix substitution. We used our DIY gluten free yellow cake mix recipe which can be substituted for the same equivalent as a boxed yellow cake mix. 
• Guava Juice: You can use guava juice or guava puree for this recipe. Do not use guava extract! We recommend guava puree for a richer guava flavor and it might be more tolerable for those with stomach issues who follow a FODMAP or other similar diet.
• Eggs: You can substitute egg replacer for the eggs…it might just yield a more dense cake. 
• Red food coloring: If you’re wanting a pinker cake you can use a drop or two of food coloring. It’s totally optional and you can substitute natural food coloring if you would like. 

Natural Food Coloring

Whipped Topping

On top of your cooled guava cake lands a pillowy soft layer of whipped frosting! The frosting and guava ganache are totally optional. The guava cake itself is only five ingredients and can be ready in about thirty minutes. You are welcome to add the whipped frosting and guava ganache on top if you would like but it will increase prep time and ingredients used. (I do suggest giving it a try though!) 

• Sugar: You can opt to use a sugar substitute like monkfruit. We like Miss Jones Smart Sugar. 

Miss Jones Smart Sugar

• Cream Cheese: Substitute your favorite dairy free cream cheese option. 

Dairy Free Cream Cheese

• Cool Whip: Again, you are welcome to substitute a dairy free choice here. 

Dairy Free Cool Whip

Guava Ganache

This is the final ending–the game changer. It tastes amazing and adds a hint more of guava goodness in every bite. The guava ganache is a gel like consistency that is spread over the top of the whipped topping. 

• Guava Juice: Feel free to use guava juice or guava puree. We opted for guava puree for a richer guava flavor. 
• Sugar: Again, you are welcome to use a sugar substitute here. 
• Corn Syrup: Honey works as a good substitute for corn syrup. You can also use brown rice syrup. 

Other Recipes that Use Yellow Cake Mix

Recipe adapted from Polynesia.com